The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-07-21
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
How the Cities Of the Land Shall
be Regenerated.
The Alliance of Dirt and Iniqutty-Crime
the Offspring OF Ignorance-Cleanli-
ness and Compulsory Eduea-
ton the Only Remedies.

the Offspring OF Ignorance-Cleanli-
ness and Compulsory Educa-
ton the Only Remedies.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, in o recent
sermon at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, took
the prevalence of Dirt and Crime in the
cities as his subject, his text being:
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Be-
hold, Ipray thee. the situation of this city is
pleasant, as my Lord seeth; but the water is
naught, and the ground barren. And he said,
Bring me new cruise, and put salt therein.
And they brought it to him. And he went
forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast
the salt in there, and said Thus saith the Lord,
have healed these waters; there shs not be
from thence any more death or barren land. So
the waters were healed unto this day,-[IL
Kings H., 1922.
Dr.. Talmage said:
1t is difficult to estimate how much Of
the prosperity and health of city are de-
pendent upon good water. The time
when, through well-laid pipes aud from
safe reservoir, an abundance Of water
from Croton, or Ridgewood, or Schuyl-
kill, is brought into the city, is appropri-
ately celebrated with grafton and
pyrotechnic, display. Thank God every
day for clear, bright, beautiful sparkling
water, as it drops in the shower, or tos ses
up m the fountain, or rushes out at the
hydrant.
The City of Jericho, notwithstanding
all the physical and commercial advan-
tages. was lacking in this important ele-
ment There was enough water, but it
was diseased, and the people were crying
out by reason thereof. Elisha, the
prophet. comes to the rescue. He says:
'Get me new cruise; fill it with salt
and bring it to me-"
Sothe cruise of salt was brought to the
prophet, and see him walking out to the
general reservoir, and he takes that salt
and throws it into the reservoir, and lol
all the impurities depart, through su-
pernatural and divine influence, and the
waters are good and fresh and clear, and
all the people clap their hands and lift up
their faces in the gladness. Water for
Jericho-clear, bright, beautiful, God
given water.
you the fountains of municipal corrup-
ton, and this morning I propose to show
you what are the means of the rectifica-
ton Of those fountains. There are four
or five kinds of salt that have cleansing
L
shall bring cruise of salt to the work.
and empty it into the great reservoir Of
municipal crime, sin and shame lgnor-
ance and abomination.
In this work Of cleansing our cities
have first to remark that there is e work
for the broom and the shovel that nothing
else can do. There always has been an
intimate connection between iuiquity and
dirt The filthy parts of the great cities
are always the most Ubiquitous parts.
The cutters and the pavements of the
Fourth ward, New York, illustrate and
symbolizs the character Of the people in
the Fourth ward.
The first thing that bad man does
when he is converted is thoroughly to
wash himself. There were, this morning,
on the way to the different churches,
thousands Of men in proper apparel who,
before their conversion, were unfit in
their Sabbath dress. When on the Sab
bath see Eaan uncleanIy in his dress,
my suspicious in regard to his moral
character are aroused, and they are al
ways well founded. So as to allow no ex-
cuse for lack Of ablution, God has cleft
the continents with rivers and
lakes, and has sunk five
great ocoans, and all the world
ought to be clean. Away, then, with the
dirt from our cities, not only because the
physical health needs an ablution but be-
cause all the great moral and religious
interests OF the cities demand it as posi-
tive necessity. A filthy city always has
been and always will be q wicked city.
Through the upturning of the earth for
great Improvement our city could not be
expected to be as clean as usual, but for
the illimitabe dirt Of Brooklyn for the
last Six months there is no excuse. 1t is
not merely q matter Of dust in the eyes,
and mud for the shoes, and of stencil for
the nostrils, but Of morals for the soul.
Another corrective influence that we
would bring to bear upon the evils of our
great cities is Christian printing press.
The newspapers Of any place are the
test OF morality or immortality. The
newsboy who runs along the street with
roll OF papers under his arm is a
tremendous force that can not be
turned aside nor resisted, andrzat his
every step the city is elevated or degrad
ed. This hungry, alLdevouring Ameri
can mind must have something to read
and upon editors and authors and book
publishers and parents and teachers RES
the responsibility of what they shall read
go on further and say that we must
depend upon the school for great dea,
OF correcting influences. A community
can no more afford to have ignorant mer
in its midst than 1t can afford to have un.
Gagged hyenas. Ignorance is the mother
OF hydra-headad crime. Thirty-one per
cent. of all the criminals of New Yorl
State can neither read nor write Intel
lectual darkness is generally the pre-
cursor Of moral darkness.
It is high time that all city and State
authority, as well as the Federal Govern.
mont appreciate the awful statistics
that while years ago, in this country
there was set apart $1,000, 600 acres Of
land for school purposes, there are now
in New England 191, 900 people who car
neither read nor write, and in the State
OF Pennsylvania $4,000 who can neithe,
read nor write, and in the State of New
York 24l, 600 who can neither read no,
write, while in the United Statce there
are near 6,000, 600 whofcan Meth, rea6
nor write. Statistics enough to staggel
and confound any man who loves his God
and his country.
Now, in view of this fact, am in fayo,
OF compulsory education. When parent.
are so bestial as 20 neglect this duty t.
the child, ] saw the law with q sfrcne